I'l punt and say that 'Moonbeam Levels' is on the PR Deluxe. Prince didn't think in 'eras' like fans do. We package everything up nicely to suit official album releases, but the reality is, Prince mixed projects all the time.

I think WB only have a contract for a new Hits package and PR deluxe (which Prince admitted they were sitting on) and this is being done without the estate.

Moonbeam Levels is being put on the Hits to generate sales before we realise its part of the PR unreleased material next year. Double cash in for WB.

Nonsense. There are 3 or 5 Prince greatest hits sets on the market already. Joe public is good as far as everything upto 1993... and that's the nice way of saying it. This is the first album to be released since his passing and it's not for fans?

2) TMBGITW - mentioned as being on the album in the blurb, yet doesn't seem to be on the tracklist

That's a good start isn't it? The ONE reason to release another hits package is because of TMBGITW... So is it on the album or not?

3) Gotta stop messing about

Why? it's not even a good song. Erotic City/Gold/Holy River... or another outtake SOMETHING fans might care about.

With over 1000 live shows and upwards of 1,000 unreleased studio tracks and this is the best they could come up with?

Bang a QR code on the album booklet so fans can get an EP or Live show. This is just another pointless compilation.

What's even more annoying is that they have a number of Piano & Mic shows in Ex quality. Why not compile a hits album from these live performances? Something not quite as bland and generic.

That album cover - shudder. Doesn't really look like him, IMO. Must be the lighting.

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Ghastly cover art...

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And so it begins, the posthumous embarrassments and mishandling of P's legacy...

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This new comp is the least imaginative cash-grab they could come up with...

But surely to God you realize THIS IS HOW IT WORKS? All WB cares about is money. They own the goldmine of Prince songs, so they are going to squeeze every last drop out of it that they can. A stocking stuffer comp relased the same year of his death is a no brainer for them. As far as the cover art, it's easily better than at least the last 10 ACTUAL Prince album covers (excepting AOA- I like that one)...

And so it begins, the posthumous embarrassments and mishandling of P's legacy...

.

This new comp is the least imaginative cash-grab they could come up with...

But surely to God you realize THIS IS HOW IT WORKS? All WB cares about is money. They own the goldmine of Prince songs, so they are going to squeeze every last drop out of it that they can. A stocking stuffer comp relased the same year of his death is a no brainer for them. As far as the cover art, it's easily better than at least the last 10 ACTUAL Prince album covers (excepting AOA- I like that one)...

Of course it is... but I think what people are saying is that they already have 3 or 5 (depending how you view it) Prince hits compilations... why not re-release one of them? There isn't a huge difference in the tracklist.

With even the slightest bit of creativity they could have put together a decent enough album to appeal to fans & joe public.

Rather than just repackaging the hits (again) use live songs? use acoustic versions? use piano versions... throw in some songs that weren't hit's but are hailed as some of his best work (Joy in Repitition/Sometimes it snows etc

This looks like they popped in the hits/bsides hit shuffle and then whatever comes up next makes the album.

I will check it out... but "She's Always In My Hair" should be on there instead of "Gotta Stop (Messin' About). As someone pointed out, they mention "TMBGITW" but it's not even on the tracklist. And instead of "Glam Slam", why not "I Hate U"? It went to #12 on the Billboard Top 100...Maybe they're saving it for another collection that spans the years 1994-2015. Idk.

And so it begins, the posthumous embarrassments and mishandling of P's legacy...

.

This new comp is the least imaginative cash-grab they could come up with...

But surely to God you realize THIS IS HOW IT WORKS? All WB cares about is money. They own the goldmine of Prince songs, so they are going to squeeze every last drop out of it that they can. A stocking stuffer comp relased the same year of his death is a no brainer for them. As far as the cover art, it's easily better than at least the last 10 ACTUAL Prince album covers (excepting AOA- I like that one)...

I will check it out... but "She's Always In My Hair" should be on there instead of "Gotta Stop (Messin' About). As someone pointed out, they mention "TMBGITW" but it's not even on the tracklist. And instead of "Glam Slam", why not "I Hate U"? It went to #12 on the Billboard Top 100...Maybe they're saving it for another collection that spans the years 1994-2015. Idk.

Did you folks not read the press release? The bolded sections are what folks are missing. This has nothing to do with the estate, we are still waiting on estate vault release info. Yes, the estate has to approve these releases, but they were both done with Prince's input and approval with WB. What I am talking about when I say official estate release, is the releases that will result from them going through the vault(s) after his passing.

Even more tantalizing is the remastered Purple Rain deluxe edition, slated for release early next year. While details are incomplete, the set will include "a second album of previously unreleased material," according to the press release, which also notes that plans for the set "were agreed with Prince before he passed away." As for what that second album might include, multiple unreleased contemporaneous tracks -- such as "Electric Intercourse," "G-Spot," "Father's Song," "Wednesday," "All Day, All Night" and "Possessed" -- have appeared on bootlegs or were re-recorded with different Prince-related acts.

This also backs up what I speculated earlier in the year in regards to Purple Rain remaining an in tact unaltered album and any extra tracks being put on a 2nd CD. Just makes sense right? Purple Rain is perfect as is, the only difference will be the sound quality, which remains to be seen if it will be better, we all know remasters can be botched to hell.

[Edited 10/21/16 7:58am]

"You always get the dream that you deserve, from what you value the most" -Prince 2013

I will check it out... but "She's Always In My Hair" should be on there instead of "Gotta Stop (Messin' About). As someone pointed out, they mention "TMBGITW" but it's not even on the tracklist. And instead of "Glam Slam", why not "I Hate U"? It went to #12 on the Billboard Top 100...Maybe they're saving it for another collection that spans the years 1994-2015. Idk.

Don't think so, WB has right only to 4/5 album in that period.

If I'm not wrong TGE, Come, C&D, "The Vault"... and AOA.

Perhaps, but if WB were working with the estate, they wouldn't have any real problems getting those songs on an album.

But surely to God you realize THIS IS HOW IT WORKS? All WB cares about is money. They own the goldmine of Prince songs, so they are going to squeeze every last drop out of it that they can. A stocking stuffer comp relased the same year of his death is a no brainer for them. As far as the cover art, it's easily better than at least the last 10 ACTUAL Prince album covers (excepting AOA- I like that one)...

Haha, agreed, I don't think the cover's that bad at all.

I really like the cover, I remember I saw it on one of the bootlegs back in 2012-13 and loved it.

[Edited 10/21/16 8:22am]

Thunder, all through the night
Promise to see Jesus in the morning light
Take my hand, it'll be alright
C'mon save your soul tonight

WB is releasing what it knows it can. I understood that it had not yet been determined what in the vault was owned by WB or the Estate. This is going to be advertised and sold all over the world from (our) Thanksgiving to Christmas. You will see Prince everywhere - print, online, TV. That is a good thing IMO. Keep him out there.

But surely to God you realize THIS IS HOW IT WORKS? All WB cares about is money. They own the goldmine of Prince songs, so they are going to squeeze every last drop out of it that they can. A stocking stuffer comp relased the same year of his death is a no brainer for them. As far as the cover art, it's easily better than at least the last 10 ACTUAL Prince album covers (excepting AOA- I like that one)...

Of course it is... but I think what people are saying is that they already have 3 or 5 (depending how you view it) Prince hits compilations... why not re-release one of them? There isn't a huge difference in the tracklist.

With even the slightest bit of creativity they could have put together a decent enough album to appeal to fans & joe public.

Rather than just repackaging the hits (again) use live songs? use acoustic versions? use piano versions... throw in some songs that weren't hit's but are hailed as some of his best work (Joy in Repitition/Sometimes it snows etc

This looks like they popped in the hits/bsides hit shuffle and then whatever comes up next makes the album.

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Yes, agree with Noodled.

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As for the cover art... "easily better than at least the last 10 ACTUAL Prince album covers"? That claim is, IMHO, the equivalent to a bowel movement.

Nonsense. There are 3 or 5 Prince greatest hits sets on the market already. Joe public is good as far as everything upto 1993... and that's the nice way of saying it. This is the first album to be released since his passing and it's not for fans?

Exactly! Considering how many copies of THTBS/TVBOP/UP sold after he passed, this set is really for nobody except WB. I'll pick it up, but expect better in the future...

Someone mentioned this could be a live compilation, a piano/mic set, etc...

How about this: 1 disc of hits by Prince, 1 disc of hits Prince gave to other artists. I bet "the masses" would jump at that.

Surely TMBGITW deserves a place in every P hits compilation, but unfortunately the only version WB could release is the inferior TGE version.

If so, I can live without it on the compilation.

Wonder if it has to do with it being an independent release unlike the rest of this Warners only package sans Moonbeam

Download all the shit hop that you can for your kids, neices, nephews, and their friends also. That will prevent them from going out and buying it and will prevent some shit hop sales. Every little bit helps - Andy
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemus

Why was that one specificially chosen from the B-sides? Seems pretty damn random. I get the same feeling about its inclusion as with "Money Don't Matter 2nite" being on "The Very Best Of Prince". That someone high up on the hierarchy of the company insisted on having a personal favourite on the compilation.

Why was that one specificially chosen from the B-sides? Seems pretty damn random. I get the same feeling about its inclusion as with "Money Don't Matter 2nite" being on "The Very Best Of Prince". That someone high up on the hierarchy of the company insisted on having a personal favourite on the compilation.

Nonsense. There are 3 or 5 Prince greatest hits sets on the market already. Joe public is good as far as everything upto 1993... and that's the nice way of saying it. This is the first album to be released since his passing and it's not for fans?

Exactly! Considering how many copies of THTBS/TVBOP/UP sold after he passed, this set is really for nobody except WB. I'll pick it up, but expect better in the future...

Someone mentioned this could be a live compilation, a piano/mic set, etc...

How about this: 1 disc of hits by Prince, 1 disc of hits Prince gave to other artists. I bet "the masses" would jump at that.

Now thats a compilation for ya. Although there would be a slew of recording right disputes with others like Capitol, EMI, Warner, Columbia. Can't be hard though.

Download all the shit hop that you can for your kids, neices, nephews, and their friends also. That will prevent them from going out and buying it and will prevent some shit hop sales. Every little bit helps - Andy
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemus

Why was that one specificially chosen from the B-sides? Seems pretty damn random. I get the same feeling about its inclusion as with "Money Don't Matter 2nite" being on "The Very Best Of Prince". That someone high up on the hierarchy of the company insisted on having a personal favourite on the compilation.

If Warner and and NPG are teaming up then why the fuck put out such a reductive tracklist. Prince didn't die 23 years ago mother fuckers.

That was my first reaction, too. Then I realised TMBGITW isn't there, when it should.

I assume there are legal reasons behind all this: as of now, and for an unknown amount of time, WB still retains exclusive distribution rights over everything released -and possibly even recorded- between 78 and 96, and if it is true (I haven't followed the details on that) that the estate is shopping P's catalogue to labels, it's therefore possible that they want to keep their options open for TMBGITW and anything not licenced to WB.

However TMBGITW has an unknown status: the single was (p) NPG Records but TGE, on which it is featured, it (p) WB, so IDK what the song status is but most likely it's unclear even for the parties concerned.

I have to say I wouldn't be surprised if we were to discover Moonbeam Levels is being sourced from the recent, good sounding, leak and not the original master, because they haven't been able to catalogue the vault's content yet

Why was that one specificially chosen from the B-sides? Seems pretty damn random. I get the same feeling about its inclusion as with "Money Don't Matter 2nite" being on "The Very Best Of Prince". That someone high up on the hierarchy of the company insisted on having a personal favourite on the compilation.

As someone told before me, it was an A-Side in the UK.

All of these tracks were A-Sides in one way or another--whether it be non-U.S. singles like "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)", "Paisley Park" and "Girls & Boys" or promo only singles like "When You Were Mine" and "Head".

I have to say I wouldn't be surprised if we were to discover Moonbeam Levels is being sourced from the recent, good sounding, leak and not the original master, because they haven't been able to catalogue the vault's content yet

If that were to happen, WB would deserve all the hate and complaints they would get. What a great way to kill 100% of any goodwill they have with the fans...Let's hope they do better.

Why was that one specificially chosen from the B-sides? Seems pretty damn random. I get the same feeling about its inclusion as with "Money Don't Matter 2nite" being on "The Very Best Of Prince". That someone high up on the hierarchy of the company insisted on having a personal favourite on the compilation.

As someone told before me, it was an A-Side in the UK.

It was, but it didn't chart.

Wiki:

"Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" was released in the UK as two separate 7" singles, one with the Dirty Mind track "Uptown" as a B-side, and the other with "I Wanna Be Your Lover", from Prince. Each single also had an accompanying 12" single, both with the same tracks as the 7" and both including the song "Head", from Dirty Mind. Despite an extensive advertising campaign and promotion, and coinciding with Prince's first UK gig, neither issue of the single charted. The track would later be released in the U.S. as the B-side of the 12" single for "Let's Work", and become a highly sought after collector's item. "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" was also later released on The Hits/The B-Sides.